JOINT STATEMENT BY HIGH REPRESENTATIVE CATHERINE ASHTON AND COMMISSIONER ŠTEFAN FüLE ON THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE

30.10.12

Brussels. Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission and Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, made the following statement yesterday:

“We followed closely the pre-electoral period and Sunday's voting process in Ukraine. The turnout shows Ukrainian citizens’ attachment to a democratic and pluralistic society. Vote counting is not yet fully completed.

We take full note of the International Observation Mission’s preliminary findings on the conduct of the elections - which present a mixed picture with several shortcomings - and of the difficulties faced by the local electoral observers. The final assessment will also depend on post-electoral developments, which we will watch closely. It is therefore particularly important that the Ukrainian authorities ensure proper conduct in the coming stages of the electoral process, notably as regards the remaining vote count, tabulation of results and following up on possible electoral complaints.

We expect that the future Verkhovna Rada will fully reflect the will of the Ukrainian voters, as expressed during Sunday's elections.

We reiterate our regret that the consequences of trials that did not respect international standards have prevented opposition representatives from standing in the parliamentary elections, and call on the authorities to address this matter and take further steps to reform the judiciary to avoid their recurrence.

Our engagement with Ukraine towards political association and economic integration remains based on its respect for our common values. We are committed to continue to work towards using the full potential of our relations for the benefit of the citizens of Ukraine and the EU”.